What a real Argentine grill is, and the ones worth buying.
The parrilla is an adjustable-height grill with a V-grate and a brasero, built for asado over wood and coals. I grew up cooking on these fires. Here is how a real one works, how it differs from a Santa Maria grill, and the builds worth your money.
What is an Argentine grill (parrilla)?
An Argentine grill, a parrilla, is an adjustable-height grill built to cook over wood and coals the way asado has been cooked for generations. Like a Santa Maria grill, it raises and lowers the grate over the fire with a crank or wheel. What sets it apart is two things working together: a V-shaped grate that drains fat away from the flame, and a brasero, a side firebox where you burn wood down to coals and feed them in.
One rule separates a real parrilla from a rebranded barbecue: if it does not have an adjustable grate, it is not really in this category. Everything good about cooking on one, the slow render, the control, the crust, comes from moving the food over a fire you tend by hand. It is the grill built for the long cook and the crowd.
How an Argentine parrilla works
Heat by distance, dialed in by hand
A wheel raises and lowers the grate over the coals. Drop it for a hard sear, lift it for a slow render. You set the heat by moving the food, not by venting a lid, which is why a smooth, stable crank is the part you touch every single cook.
Channels that drain fat away from flare-ups
The signature of a parrilla. The V-shaped bars run rendered fat to a side gutter instead of onto the coals, so you get cleaner cooks and fewer flare-ups than a flat grate. Small items still want a tray, but for steaks and ribs the V-grate is why asado tastes like asado.
A sealed firebox you feed from the side
The brasero lets you burn wood down to coals and rake them under the grate without disturbing the cook. It is essential for anything longer than one round of food: the difference, two hours into an asado, between a fire that is still yours to command and one you have to rebuild. Santa Maria grills usually skip it; a real parrilla does not.
Argentine parrilla vs Santa Maria grill
They share the core idea, a crank-adjustable grate over live fire, and many grills are sold as both. The difference is fire management.
Argentine parrilla
V-grate that channels fat away from flare-ups, plus a sealed brasero to burn coals down and feed them in from the side. Built for long, low asados.
Santa Maria
Flat grate, open simplicity, usually no firebox below. Built for direct radiant heat over red oak. Fewer parts, fast to learn.
If you run five-hour asados and want to feed coals without rebuilding the fire, the parrilla is the tool. If you mostly cook steaks and tri-tip over a hot, simple fire, read the Santa Maria grills guide. Still weighing both against open fire? Compare all three wood-fired grills side by side.
The best Argentine grills in 2026
Picked for the buyer who wants to spend once and not regret it. Material first, because rust is the most common regret on every forum. Read the full review on any grill before you buy.
Kocinero may earn a commission when you buy through links in our reviews. It never changes our rankings or what we tell you.
| Grill | Price range | Material | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tagwood BBQ06SSThe versatile premium all-rounder | $3,000–$8,000 | 304 | Full 304, sealed brasero, widest lineup | Read the review |
| Gaucho GrillsHandcrafted, outdoor-kitchen build | $4,500–$8,000+ | 304 | Custom outdoor-kitchen integration | Read the review |
| SunterraThe value-premium sweet spot | $1,500–$3,000 | 430 / 304 upgrade | Best value entry to serious cooking | Read the review |
| Nuke DeltaThe authentically Argentine pick | ~$1,690 | Painted steel + brick | Made-in-Argentina build with a lid | Read the review |
| Buy or build?Tagwood vs a custom welder | ~$800–$1,500 custom | varies | Deciding between finished and fabricated | Read the guide |
See all 4, ranked and compared
Specs and prices are illustrative pending per-model verification before publish.
What to look for before you spend
304 stainless, all the way through
The one spec that decides whether you hand the grill down or replace it. Most "stainless" grills at this price quietly drop to 430 somewhere structural. Within 30 miles of saltwater, full 304 is non-negotiable: it is the line between a grill that lasts decades and a rust bucket in three winters.
Do you actually need the firebox?
If you cook long asados or for a crowd, yes: feeding coals from the side without disturbing the cook is the whole point. If you only ever sear a couple of steaks, a simpler grill or a Santa Maria build may serve you better. Buy the brasero for the cook you actually do.
Match the grate to how many you feed
A ~36-inch surface handles an asado for ten to twelve. Bigger is not free: more fuel, more space, more grill to heat for two steaks. Size to your usual table, not your once-a-year party, and a small backyard is better served by a compact parrilla than an oversized one.
Argentine-specific, not a rotisserie bolt-on
The best builds are designed for asado: V-grates, crank wheels, braseros, heavy gauge that resists warping. Watch for brands that adapt an American smoker and call it a parrilla. And weigh the honest alternative: a trusted local welder can build a custom one for far less, if you have the fabricator and the patience.
How we pick
We rank on build and materials first, then heat control and value. Affiliate commissions never move the order: the ranking is decided before money enters. This is the food I grew up on, so where I have cooked on a grill I say so, and where I am still testing I say that too.
Ready to compare the best Argentine grills?
Read the full review on any grill above before you buy. If you are weighing the simpler open-fire route, the Santa Maria guide covers the flat-grate cousin.